Article holder



NOV. 23, M, P. REESE ET AL ARTICLE HOLDER Filed March 4, 1936 1N VEN TORJ.

BY PM WOW,

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTICLE HOLDER Reese Application March 4,

6 Claims.

Our invention relates to holders for toilet articles and the like, particularly to a device adapted to receive and hold collapsible tubes, safety razors, tooth brushes, and various other slender articles. The invention, however, is not to be limited to any particular article or class of articles.

The invention comprises essentially an elongated, arch shaped rack or holder, provided with a plurality of transversely extending, wedgeshaped slots. The walls or edges defining the lowermost portions of the slots are preferably substantially vertical. The top of the arch shaped member is preferably flattened and this flattened portion may be provided with one or more holes or apertures, for holding slender articles, such, for example, as toothbrushes, safety razors, manicuring implements, clinical thermometers, etc. The different slots and holes may be provided with suitable markings for indicating individual ownership of the article supported in that particular slot or hole.

It is well known that it is the custom to pack creams, shaving lotions, tooth paste, and similar products in collapsible tubes, from which the contents are pressed or forced by applying pressure to the bottom end of the tube. As the tubes are pressed or rolled up, the contents thereof being partly removed, the pressed or rolled up end of the tube fits perfectly within the slots of the holder.

Heretofore when the tubes and other toilet articles are not in use, they are usually laid at random upon a washstand, shelf, or on other flat surfaces in the bath room thereby giving an untidy appearance to the bath room or shelf.

As the tubes, tooth brushes, razors, etc., invariably carry water or moisture on their outside surfaces after using, these articles, if placed upon a flat surface, become more or less sticky and unsanitary.

Our invention eliminates the above mentioned conditions and permits the articles to be individually held in an upright position whereby the moisture may evaporate from the articles, thus maintained in a sanitary condition and whereby the various articles are held in a neat, tidy and orderly manner, so as to be quickly accessible.

Further advantages of structure and function of the invention will be evident upon consideration of the accompanying drawing, illustrating the present preferred embodiment of the invention.

In this drawing:

1936, Serial No. 67,139

Fig. 1 is a perspective view holder;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the holder.

In the drawing, l represents a shelf, table top, or other horizontal surface on which the holder may be placed. The holder 2 is elongated and is substantially arch shaped, and may have generally the shape of an inverted U or inverted V. The precise shape can, of course, be varied, without departing from the invention. The holder 2 is provided with a plurality of downwardly converging slots or openings 3, substantially wedgeshaped, adapted to receive collapsible tubes, or the like. The slots may be of different sizes, as shown, where the outer slots are smaller than the two middle slots. These slots extend transversely of the longitudinal axis of the holder. The top of the holder may be flattened, as shown at 4 and these flattened portions may have holes or apertures 5 therethrough, for supporting tooth brushes, safety razors, styptic pencils, manicuring implements and such relatively slender articles. A tube 6 of tooth paste, shaving cream or any other substance of like nature placed in collapsible tubes is shown in one of the slots.

While the slots 3 are substantially wedgeshaped, the edges defining the lowermost portions of the slots are substantially parallel and vertical, providing a supplementary slot 1 for receiving the rolled-up bottom of a collapsible tube.

Each slot may have some symbol individual to that slot, such as A, B, C, D, etc., or a number or a person's name, so that the different members of the family can identify their particular article. Similarly, the holes 5 may be marked for designating the owner of the article supported in that particular hole.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that our holder may be horizontally placed upon any flat surface, and is very economical to manufacture, as it can be struck or molded from a single sheet of material, such as metal, aluminum, cardboard, synthetic resin, etc. We do not wish to limit ourselves to the material named, however, as the holder may be made of glass, porcelain, or of any material having suflicient rigidity to support the articles named.

The holder of this invention, comprising an arched member provided with transversely extending slots, gives a structure wherein the slots 55 of the improved are self-cleaning and whereby the entire holder is thoroughly well ventilated. The slots open both upwardly and downwardly, and, by reason of the downward opening of the slots, no soap, moisture, tooth-paste or the like can accumulate therein. By reason of the arched construction, with the transverse slots extending through the bight oi' the arch, thorough longitudinal and lateral ventilation of the articles is provided for, which is of importance where, as here, the articles are usually wet after having been used.

It will also be noted that the holder is readily removable from any surface upon which it may be placed, and that it holds the articles enumerated in an individual upright position, thus maintaining such articles in a clean and sanitary condition, free from contact with other similar articles, and in a neat and orderly arrangement.

While in our drawing and description we have referred to collapsible tubes, safety razors, toothbrushes, thermometers, etc., we do not limit ourselves to these articles alone, they being simply mentioned as being particularly adapted to be held in position in our device.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

. 1. A holder for toilet articles, collapsible tubes and the like comprising an elongated arched member having therein a plurality of downwardly extending substantially V-shaped transverse slots adapted to individually receive the folded end of a collapsible tube.

2. A holder for toilet articles, collapsible tubes and the like comprising an elongated arched member having therein a plurality of downwardly extending substantially V-shaped transverse slots adapted to individually receive the folded end of a collapsible tube, the holder being provided, in the top portion thereof, with at least one hole for receiving a slender article.

3. A holder or the character described, comprising an elongated, arched body portion provided with a plurality of downwardly and upwardly opening slots extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the holder and extending through the bight of said arched body portion.

4. A holder of the character described, comprising an elongated, arched body portion substantially in the shape of an inverted U, provided with a plurality of downwardly and upwardly opening, self-cleaning slots having downwardly converging walls, said slots extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the holder and extending through the bight of said inverted U- shaped member.

5. A holder of the character described, comprising an elongated, arched body portion substantially in the shape of an inverted U, provided with a plurality of downwardly and upwardly opening slots extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the holder and extending through the bight of said inverted U-shaped member, said slots having downwardly converging walls, said slot walls merging, at their lowermost portions, into relatively short vertical walls.

6. A holder of the character described, comprising an elongated, arched body portion substantially in the shape of an inverted U, provided with a plurality of downwardly and upwardly opening, self-cleaning slots having downwardly converging walls, said slots extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the holder and extending through the bight of said inverted U- shaped member, the top of said arched body portion being flattened adjacent the slots and provided with at least one opening for receiving and supporting an article therein.

MYRTLE PIERCE REESE. CHRISTIAN A. VOLF, JR. 

